Hoover's Breigha Wilder-Cochran stood out for her frame and her game

Hoover point guard Breigha Wilder-Cochran has a bright college future ahead of her at South Alabama because of her versatility. She was named the 2013 Birmingham News Hoover Player of the Year this season. (Dennis Victory/preps@al.com)

HOOVER, Alabama -- Breigha Wilder-Cochran stands out because she’s a 5-foot-9 point guard.

But saying that sells her short. While she does tend to have a couple of inches on any player she matches up against, it’s not just that advantage that gives her an edge.

When she’s needed to run the offense, the Hoover senior takes charge. When the Bucs need an outside scorer, Wilder-Cochran shifts and shines.

And even when the tables are turned and she becomes the short end of the stick in the post, the South Alabama signee is also up to that task.

“I just played my role,” Wilder-Cochran said in a telephone interview with AL.com.” Whatever I was needed to do I did.”

Wilder-Cochran has been named the 2013 Birmingham News Hoover Player of the Year. Her coach Tiffany Frederick, who led Hoover to a second consecutive Class 6A state title and a 28-4 record in her first season with the team, was also tabbed as the top coach in the Hoover area season.

Wilder-Cochran also delivered the ball into the post for the effective hands of teammate Marqu'es Webb. The Hoover senior was named the overall 2013 Birmingham News Metro Player of the Year.

“Running the point was my main position and running the team, and there were times I had to move to the two and be more of a scoring threat and I also had to play a little bit of the four,” Wilder-Cochran said. “If our post players got in foul trouble I was able go down there and defend the other team’s post and get a lot of boards. Wherever I was needed I just gave my best effort.”

“I told her at the beginning of the season that she was like a (current Los Angeles Sparks guard) Kristi Tolliver for me because she does so many things well,” Frederick said.

“Really when I think of her, she can do it all. She can take you off the bounce, she can shoot the three, she’s a great defender, she’s long and she gives you boards.”

In the front court, Wilder-Cochran used her height advantage to power her way to success. There weren’t many that matched her stature.

“I would say at the most I could count on my hand, there were maybe three or four times that they were at my height,” she said.

But she admitted that it was an eye opener when the tables were turned and she moved to the baseline in the four spot.

“It was a challenge getting down and playing with those post players,” she said. “That was something I wasn’t used to. I remember in one game against Northridge I had to get down there and guard their post and I was telling my coach I don’t know how they do it, playing on the post and then running the floor.

I was just so tired.”

But Frederick said it never flustered her.

“She lets the game come to her and she wants to get everybody involved,” Frederick said. “That’s the point guard in her. If she could have played the five she would have.

“That’s what makes her such a threat. Anytime you have that kind of player that can play (the) one through four positions that’s an advantage. That’s just something special on your team to have and that’s exactly what she was. She was that very special player that we could play and move around at different positions. It helped us so much throughout the season.”

Hoover senior Courtney Hunter was also named to the News' 2013 All-Metro team at guard.